Gavin Harrison here!

Hi Gavin!

I recently noticed that you had mentioned you could've retired in the '00's if you'd wanted to. May I asked what has helped you achieve that status? And as a recent college graduate with a music degree who had to take up a day job, would you have any advice to the ambitious young musician who wishes to have that level of (financial) freedom to be able to pursue musical activities aligned with their heart?
 
Boudewijn said:
May I asked what has helped you achieve that status?
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I got lucky in the 90's and landed a big job in Italy playing with a really big star (Claudio Baglioni). We would tour for about 8 months a year - and I did a big tour with him in 1992, 1996, 2000 and the summer of 2004. Plus there was quite a lot of work outside of those tours as well. The funny thing is, that between 1988 to 1991 I did a very intense amount of practise - I'm not saying that led directly to the work - but the more I practised - the luckier I got. I had played on some Italian albums in 1990 and 1991 and they had been successful - so I started to get more and more session work. In 1991 I went to Milan and recorded a few songs with a female singer - a few weeks later after I had left - Claudio's musical director came and played guitar on that record and heard me play. He liked my drumming and in particular the way my time felt (slightly back on the beat) - which was something I had been focussing on in the those years of intense practise. He told me that it made the music feel 'grand and luxurious' - and that's exactly what he was looking for in a drummer.

cheers
Gavin
 
ctdrummer said:
I have recently gotten into his drumming with Porcupine Tree, and discovered that this guy has major chops, skills and groove. What do people know about him, his equipment, and technique. Any and all information is a good thing.
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He's also been with King Crimson and has been a member of the Pineapple Thief. I've been a loyal fan since his gig w/Lisa Stansfield. During a meet & greet on his recent tour we talked about bass drum pedals to the BEAT tour. I showed him pics of myself with Danny Carey and he happy for me. He also mentioned that he was following the tour on the socials but wanted to see tperforming. Live.
 
Gavin Harrison said:
The funny thing is, that between 1988 to 1991 I did a very intense amount of practise - I'm not saying that led directly to the work - but the more I practised - the luckier I got.
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Thanks for your quick reply! I guess there is an amount of faith to be taken when you end up putting in the work but not seeing immediate results.
 
Hi Gavin,
Just watched your interview with "DrumandStage". You mentioned something I've been looking to do for some time when you said you don't like mic's clamped onto the rim of your toms. The claw clamps you stated that are attached to the suspension arms - can you tell me the brand of those and do you have a picture of one on one of your toms that I can see?

I've been thinking of a type of clip that mimics the rim of a drum that I can put on a clamp and place that on the rack so it is totally isolated from the drum but haven't come to a solution yet. I like your idea and would like to try it.


Thank you,
Stuart
 
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drumstu said:
The claw clamps you stated that are attached to the suspension arms - can you tell me the brand of those and do you have a picture of one on one of your toms that I can see?
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Those particular ones are made by Shure and were included with the Shure beta 98amp when I bought them.
Screenshot 2025-01-22 at 13.44.47.png
They clamp onto the Sonor suspention arms like this:

IMG_6233.jpg

and then with the Shure 98amp mic installed:
IMG_6234.jpg

cheers
Gavin
 
Perfect. You are absolutely the best.
THANK YOU GAVIN.
Looking forward to the next Pineapple Thief album.
Regards,
Stuart
 
Hello again Gavin,

What has your experience with the CRS-clamps been so far? I noticed you tend to have most of your cymbals on these clamps nowadays, but not all of them (for example the ride). I'm wondering about the reason for that, and if there's any notable difference when using them live or in studio when it comes to duration of tone, noise pickup from mics or anything else.
 
So I'm on YouTube listening to various drummers top 5 players. Gavin really surprised me for him..but me?..great picks Gavin!.
 
Boudewijn said:
What has your experience with the CRS-clamps been so far? I noticed you tend to have most of your cymbals on these clamps nowadays, but not all of them (for example the ride).
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Yes I love them - they really help with the isolation from the mounted mics (on my drums and rack) and the shock absorbing really helps too. I used to break a LOT of crash cymbals. I don't use one on the ride because it was a little too bouncy for me - I like the ride to be pretty solid and not move around.
Bozozoid said:
Gavin really surprised me for him..but me?
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Sorry - I didn't understand that.

cheers
Gavin
 
Gavin Harrison said:
Yes I love them - they really help with the isolation from the mounted mics (on my drums and rack) and the shock absorbing really helps too. I used to break a LOT of crash cymbals. I don't use one on the ride because it was a little too bouncy for me - I like the ride to be pretty solid and not move around.

Sorry - I didn't understand that.

cheers
Gavin
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Your personal top 5 favorite drummers was a surprise...they were more like MY top 5. I wrongly assumed yours would all be technique monsters. 😃
 
Hi Gavin,

I hope Sonor has already asked you to come to Bad Berleburg for their 150 years anniversary. I know that they're
planing some kind of festivity later this year. ;)
I still like to think back to the workshop you held on site in 2010...and signed my snaredrum afterwards.🤩

IMG_3795 Kopie.jpgIMG_3895 Kopie.jpgIMG_3874 Kopie.jpg

All the best,
Chris
 

Hello again Gavin! At 2:42 you mention the cut out in the bottom hoop that makes using the dual glide strainer even quicker. While I’ve seen other Sonor snare drums use the dual glide strainer since, do any others have the cut out like your protean snare drums? I was discussing this my student that came with all of us to the Gramercy show.

- Salvador
 
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Hey Gavin, wondering if you have ever experienced your 3 sets of Protean wires breaking quickly? I bought the Protean Snare used months ago, but in this month alone I completely tore through the steel and brass wires. Was practicing today and tore through two wires on the EQ set. Rewatched your videos on the drum with Sonor, but am still unsure if

A) something to do with maybe previous owner not being careful putting the wires away

B) something I’m doing wrong in setup

C) maybe was an issue with early models?

As always, thank you for your time Gavin!

- Salvador
 

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SalvadorDDVS said:
wondering if you have ever experienced your 3 sets of Protean wires breaking quickly?
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Sorry to hear it. I haven't experienced them breaking quickly. I guess it depends on a quite a few things: How much tension the wires are under, if the bottom head is tuned a bit on the low side, if the wires are set up straight and not getting slightly pulled more one side than the other, and of course how hard you hit the drum. I have broken wires over the past 12 years - but no more than I was breaking them historically (being a heavy back beat player).

cheers
Gavin
 
SalvadorDDVS said:

Hello again Gavin! At 2:42 you mention the cut out in the bottom hoop that makes using the dual glide strainer even quicker. While I’ve seen other Sonor snare drums use the dual glide strainer since, do any others have the cut out like your protean snare drums? I was discussing this my student that came with all of us to the Gramercy show.

- Salvador
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I have a 14x6" Prolite Brass snare with the Hella die cast hoops that does also have those cut-outs. I assumed that was the case with all snare side Hella hoops but looking at other Sonor snares with those hoops, some of them don't seem to have them. Maybe that change was implemented around the time the Protean Snares came out?

Edit: Checking out the Sonor specs on their website, it looks like all Hella hoops now have the cutout but the triple flange ones don't. https://www.sonor.com/fileadmin/use..._snare_drum_double_lugs_dual_glide_system.pdf
 
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Hi Gavin,

great interview with Ollie Winiberg. That was very informative and funny. I´ve got questions regarding practice pads. I was wandering what kind of surface you recommend for different kinds of practice on a pad. What is your experience with hard and soft surfaces on practice pads? And what brand do you own (the one with the orange wood and the black surface from your videos at the Youtube-Channel SonorDrumTube from 2020)? Thanks!

Best regards, Daniel
 
Oerpfel0815 said:
I´ve got questions regarding practice pads. I was wandering what kind of surface you recommend for different kinds of practice on a pad. What is your experience with hard and soft surfaces on practice pads?
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I prefer the softer quieter practise pads - (but not the super soft conditioning pads). The one you're referring to (orange wood, black rubber) has two fantastic feeling surfaces. One of the surfaces is so quiet I feel like I can play it in a hotel room without disturbing anyone. It is very comfortable to carry around as it's not heavy or particularly large. I was given it by a shop in Italy (when I was there doing a drum clinic many years ago) and to my surprise - when I bumped into Dave Weckl a few years later - he was warming up on the exact same pad backstage at a drum camp event. It turned out he got his from the same shop. The shop made them in house - but sadly the shop closed many years ago.

cheers
Gavin
 
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